š Jia Shing's Chronic Addiction
Sunday Scoop #32 - In this issue, I share with you a chronic addiction I've been battling with for almost a year now. Rehab is starting next week and rest assured, I'll fight tooth and nail.
Hey friends,
This weekend, my team and I finally launched A2KI!
Iām not going to bore you with a detailed elaboration about A2KI because thatās literally all Iāve been doing for the past few days.
You can learn more about it through the IG post below.
Anyway, I was recently self-diagnosed with a terminal condition.
I think the initial symptoms crept up on me without any realization on my part.
Ever since I started dabbling with code and web design (and the whole productivity spiel), I began running multiple side projects alongside my academics. It was glorious.
I felt like a legit āProductivity Grease Monkeyā having loads of tasks on my To-Do List.
Everything from my first locally-stored Python code right up to my first junkie-looking website were series of dopamine hit and I rode on that wave like nothing else.
Simply because the Feedback Loop was so incredibly short, I became addicted. Every website, every project was another chance to feel that overwhelming high of doing something āfulfillingā, something āproductiveā.
I only truly understood the severity of my addiction when I was handling the administrative tasks for A2KI.
This full-scale project required much more work than merely choosing a pretty color palette that would go with the vibe of the project. From thinking about how to keep our customerās satisfied and updated with the topics that some teachers have not covered to ensuring the entire team produces the best quality decks possible, the Feedback Loop was lengthened.
The extra space in the Feedback Loop gave me a much required opportunity to rethink my approach towards my side projects. Am I productive? Am I truly balancing my academic with my other interests well? Or am I merely immersing myself in work for my own satisfaction.
Here is something else I thought about:
If I were to swap these projects with Netflix or gaming, would people still call me productive? Its the same thing, really. Iām merely investing my time in activities that give me that dopamine hit, often associated with the feeling gamers experience when they break through a particularly tough level.
My rehab moving forward is to properly manage my Someday tasks with my Today tasks.
I think that my addiction caused me to indulge in my Someday tasks much more often than I should, resulting in my lack of time tackling my Today tasks, i.e. my studies.
Although many may associate this with me being āproductiveā (which of course, I love), I think that they, like me, may have unfortunately been disillusioned. Itās all just a way for me to experience that high that Iām so chronically addicted to.
With that said, I hope that my chronic addiction that Iām sharing with you today adds value in some way, shape and form to your life.
Links
A2KI - If you donāt yet know, this is the project that my team and I launched this weekend. We help students level up their CAIE A2 Subject Revisions by creating ANKI premade decks. Every last penny of sales made goes to COVID-19 NGOs. Check it out!
Ready Player Two - Iāve been listening to this audiobook for my last few days hitting the gym (back in KY right now). Itās slightly less interesting than the first book but still glorious nonetheless. Exactly why you should check out Ready Player One. Read more about that on my 2020 Books In Review article.
This weekās Articles.
Quick Launch GuideĀ - Guides you through the most basic functions of ANKI and how to import your A2KI Premade Decks into your ANKI account.
Customizing Your DeckĀ - Covers theĀ customization features of ANKI, includingĀ Creating Decks, Modifying Settings, Adding & Editing Cards.
Advanced FeaturesĀ - Touches on the slightly more 'advanced' features of ANKI, including Add Ons and Keyboard ShortcutsĀ (which would save you hours in the long run!)
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